Black IPA at Blue & Gray

Settling in at Lee's Retreat for a dinner with Colleen, I was ready to order my usual Falmouth American Pale Ale, when the server informed me they also had a "Black IPA" on draught. My curiosity aroused, I opted for this unnamed beer. Blue & Gray Brewery has been turning out some new beers recently and I was interested to see, and taste, what this one was all about.

Blue & Gray "Black IPA" pours a dark, not quite opaque, black with a thin white head. The aroma is mild grapefruit citrus, the beer smells like a pale ale. The flavor is initially the bitter citrus of grapefruit zest. Soon a mild roasted bitterness of the malts comes through. The roasted flavor lingers for some time afterwards. Like the juxtaposition in the name, black - pale, the flavor is hard to describe, though the descriptor "tasty" fits well.

I enjoyed my first pint with our appetizer of Irish Nachos. This dish consists of crispy waffle fries topped with tomatoes, black olives, lettuce and cheese sauce. Strange as it may sound, it works! Another pint of the Black IPA paired very well with a pulled pork BBQ sandwich. A new beer, tasty food, and the house Irish band made for any enjoyable dinner date.

The exploration in new flavors going on in the brewhouse at Blue & Gray is exciting. I look forward to seeing what else Jeff's crew comes up with.